AB1597 DETERMINANTS OF TELEMEDICINE ACCEPTANCE AMONG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM A GERMAN NATIONWIDE SURVEY
Authors: F. Muehlensiepen, P. Petit, J. Knitza, M. Welcker, N. Vuillerme
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2023)

<h3>Background</h3> Telemedicine (TM) is an effective tool to supplement rheumatology care and address staff shortages [1]. A previous study revealed that patients' willingness to try TM is closely connected to their rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) [2]. Yet, it is still unclear which factors are associated with patients' willingness to try TM among specific RMD groups, such as the most prevalent rheumatic arthritis (RA). <h3>Objectives</h3> To identify factors that determine the willingness to try TM (TM-try) among patients diagnosed with RA. <h3>Methods</h3> We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a German nationwide cross-sectional survey [3] among patients with RA. Bayesian univariate logistic regression analysis was applied to the data in order to determine which factors were associated with TM-try. Predictor variables (covariates) studied individually included sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, sex) and health characteristics (e.g., health status). All the variables positively and negatively associated with TM-try in the univariate analyses were then considered for Bayesian model averaging analysis (BMA) after a selection based on the variance inflation factor (≤ 2.5) to identify determinants of TM-try. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 22 variables/factors (22/55, 40%) were found to be positively or negatively associated (ROPE% ≤ 5%) with TM-try among 146 RA patients. A total of 9 determinant factors were identified using BMA (Figure 1). Wishing that TM services were offered by a rheumatologist, having prior TM knowledge, living in a town and considering one's health status as okay were positively associated with TM-try. By contrast, not owning an electronic device, not having internet access at home, considering to have a bad health status and being more than 60 years old were negatively associated with TM-try. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Our results suggest that health status, TM knowledge, age, and access to technical equipment and infrastructure influence RA patients' motivation to use telehealth in Germany. Consequently, training programs and targeted support measures in terms of equipment and infrastructure could help ensure that all patients have equal access to telehealth. <h3>References</h3> [1] Miloslavsky EM, Bolster MB. Addressing the rheumatology workforce shortage: A multifaceted approach. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2020 Aug;50(4):791-796. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2020.05.009. [2] Muehlensiepen F, Petit P, Knitza J, Welcker M, Vuillerme N. Factors associated with Telemedicine Factors associated with Telemedicine Usage among Rheumatic Patients: Secondary Analysis of Data from a German Nationwide Survey. J Med Internet Res. 2022 Nov 16. doi: 10.2196/40912 [Epub ahead of print] [3] Muehlensiepen F, Knitza J, Marquardt W, May S, Krusche M, Hueber A, et al. Opportunities and Barriers of Telemedicine in Rheumatology: A Participatory, Mixed-Methods Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021;18(24):13127. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182413127. <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> FM &amp; PP contributed equally and share the first authorship. The authors would like to thank the participants in the survey and all other supporters of TeleRheumaBB. We also owe special gratitude to KV Consult- und Managementgesellschaft mbH, which initiated the study in the first place. The present work is part of the PhD thesis of F.M. (AGEIS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France). <h3>Disclosure of Interests</h3> Felix Muehlensiepen Speakers bureau: Novartis Pharma GmbH, Paid instructor for: Novartis Pharma GmbH, Consultant of: Novartis Pharma GmbH, Grant/research support from: AbbVie Deutschland GmbH &amp; Co. KG, Novartis Pharma GmbH, Pascal Petit: None declared, Johannes Knitza Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Novartis, Medac, Sanofi, Amgen, UCB, Consultant of: Abbvie, Novartis, Lilly, Medac, BMS, Sanofi, Amgen, Gilead, UCB, ABATON, GSK, Werfen, Vila Health, Böhringer Ingelheim, Janssen, Galapagos, Chugai, Grant/research support from: Abbvie, Novartis, Thermo Fisher, UCB, ABATON, Sanofi, DFG, EIT Health, Martin Welcker Shareholder of:/, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, Actelion, Amgen, Biogen,BMS, Berlin Chemie, Celgene, Galapagos, Gilead, GSK, Hexal, Janssen, Medac, MSD, Mundipharma, Mylan, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, SOBI, UCB, Consultant of: Abbvie, Actelion, Aescu, Amgen, Cel- gene, Hexal, Janssen, Medac, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, UCB, Grant/research support from: Novartis, Abbvie, Nicolas Vuillerme: None declared.